The Last Romanov
by WindyCityGirl
Summary: What if Anastasia Romanov had kept a diary of her life? You could see how each event leading up to the revolution impacted her fate and how she saw it. Does not follow movie! R&R!
1. Prologue

**This is really not following any book or movie about the Romanovs. This is my idea of what could have happened to them. **

**Prologue**

I stood in my parlor when I heard the footsteps coming toward me. My granddaughter and grandson came running into the room. I smiled at them. Little Alexander looked just like my father. The sight of them sent my mind back years, to happy times.

Times where I wasn't just Anna Petrov, but Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov.

Little Carolina looked up at me hopefully.

"Will you tell us a story grandmamma?" she asked with a sweet smile.

"Of course, darling." I said indulgently.

They both sat cross legged on the floor at my feet. I don't know what possessed me to tell this story. Maybe because I was getting older. They deserved to know the truth.

"There was once a time not long ago, where we lived in a world filled with grand parties and glittering cities. A land filled with magical sites and white white snow that stretched like a blanket around us.  
This was the time of the Romanovs, the imperial family of Russia."

I smiled now, thinking if my beautiful country.

"But everything must end sometime." I said sadly. "But that is not what our story is about today. Our story is about one of the Romanovs in particular. Anastasia, the youngest of the princesses."

The children leaned forward, eyes wide.

"Her name was whispered through the streets of St. Petersburg, a legend."

_Anastasia, Anastasia, Anastasia_

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**Review please!**

**Windy**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Today I turn sixteen. I thought to myself as I awoke. Today was the twelfth of November, or as it is known today, my birthday.

My maid, Sophie opened my windows, letting the bright light into my room. She has been my maid since we were both in the schoolroom. She was one of my most trusted friends. When we were alone there was no class distinctions, just two girls talking.

"Time to get up Anna." she said with a smile. "And happy birthday." She left the room to get my clothes from the seamstress. The dress I was to wear today, was only finished last night. It drove my  
mother into conniptions.

I got out of bed and walked to my vanity. Sophie brought my day dress to me and I quickly pulled it on, and she set to work on my hair. The dress was just a loose blue dress with a buttoned collar. I put on a  
brown belt and sat down.

"Stop fidgeting!" Sophie instructed. "What are you so nervous about?" she asked.

I thought about that. I didn't really know why I was nervous. Maybe it was just jitters about the party tonight. My parents are throwing a ball on my honor tonight. This is my official coming out into society.

"I think I'm just nervous about tonight, Sophie." I said.  
She arranged my hair simply, in a twist at the nape of my neck. The auburn color of my hair shone brightly against the pale blue of the dress. And the color brought out my blue eyes. The Romanov eyes, my father said. After a while of getting dressed and preparing for the day Sophie let me out of her clutches. I headed down the staircase to the parlor for breakfast.  
My father and mother were sitting at the head of the breakfast table with my little brother Alexei on a stool next to them.

"Good morning, darling!" My father called from across the table.

"Happy birthday, dear." my mother said as Alexei came to hug me.

"Happy birthday, Anna!" he said, using his pet name for me. I hugged him back and went to kiss my parents.

"Where are Tatiana, Olga, and Maria?" I asked them. Normally my older sisters were already up and about. They were all early risers, something I could never understand.

"They went out riding this morning." My mother said.

I shrugged it off and went to get some fruit and bread for breakfast. There was a grand painting on the north walk of the parlor of our family.  
I looked at it and smiled. Everyone else in my family had brown hair. I was a throwback to my grandmother with my reddish colored hair.

"Are you nervous about tonight, dousha?" my father asked.

I shook my head and tried to answer in the steadiest and most mature voice I could muster at the moment.

"No, father, I'm actually rather excited."

He smiled. I could tell he hadn't believed me.

"Well, I'm glad you are," My mother said. "-because it is incredibly important that you behave tonight. The entire court will be there to see you." She was looking down at card in her lap. Her dark hair was twisted into a chignon at the base of her neck like mine, but on her it looked perfect. My mother was beautiful. I had always been told I resembled her but I never believed them.

Before I could respond to her, my older sister Maria walked in.

"Happy birthday, Stania!" She cried as soon as she saw me. She came and kissed me on the cheek before sitting down to the breakfast table.

I smiled at her and went to get up from the table but my father stopped me.

"Dear, we have decided to assign you a personal guard." He said.

I was about to protest but he continued without letting me argue.

"It's for your own safety and it is only for large events and for events outside the palace. As you know, your sisters, your mother and I all have guards with us when we leave the palace. And you are now old enough to do that." He told his case, leaving me no room to argue.

He signaled to a servant standing near the door. "I believe you two know each other." He said with a smile.

I felt my jaw drop when I saw who stepped out from the doorway, but closed it quickly before anyone could see. But he saw, he always did.

He looked so different from the boy I knew when I was young. The man with the blond hair and piercing green eyes couldn't be my childhood friend.

"It is nice to see you again, Princess." He said formally with a slight bow.

He wore the uniform of a Russian soldier. The buttons and decorations on the lapel clinked softly as he bowed. I managed a stiff nod.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to go prepare for tonight." I said and nearly ran out of the room before I received an answer.

**First chapter: done!**

**Review please!**

**Windy**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I ran back to my room and slammed the door. Sophie jumped in surprise at my entry.

"Anna, what is going on?" She said, looking out the door to see what upset me.

I just shook my head, whether to answer her or to clear my thoughts, I wasn't sure. I went to sit on the edge of my bed. Sophie left the room for a few moments and came back with a glass of water.

"Now tell me what happened." She said calmly. It's times like these where she seems older than me. More like an older sister than a friend.

"I was appointed a new personal guard." I told her after a deep breath. She still looked confused.

"And you are upset about this?" She asked.

"No. It's just that I knew this man before. He was a childhood friend of mine." I told her. My behavior seemed more and more childish now that I had a clear head.

"Calm down and tell me about it." She commanded.

_(Flashback)_

_A ten year old girl sat on the benches outside the royal stables, swinging her legs. Her friend had promised to come with her riding today, but he was very late. _

_Dmitri was the son of one of the soldiers in the Russian army. His father had been stationed at the Peterhof palace to oversee military operations and brought along his wife and son. But a few years back, tragedy struck and his wife died of fever, leaving him to take care of Dmitri alone. _

_Normally a friendship between the princess and a commoner would not be accepted but everyone felt sympathetic for the boy and his family. They were allowed to continue their friendship – until they got older that is._

_The girl saw a familiar head of blond hair come out into the stables._

"_Dmitri!" She cried and ran over to him. She wanted him to see the new horses brought in from Arabia. She pulled him over to see the horse and only then did she see the solemn look on his face._

"_What's wrong?" She asked, cautiously._

_He went to go sit down on one of the wooden beams in the stables and looked at her._

"_My father is leaving the palace." He said quietly. _

"_Oh." She said. "Is that why you were late? You were saying goodbye to him?" She asked._

_He shook his head, looking slightly frustrated. "No. He hasn't left yet. Tomorrow he leaves." He said, slowly._

_She looked at him, not understanding what he was trying to tell her._

"_And I have to leave with him. I don't belong in the palace. I am to join the military. I am leaving tomorrow morning." He said so softly, the girl hardly heard him._

_She couldn't comprehend the fact that her best friend may not always be there with her. _

"_You – you're leaving?" She said, more to herself than him._

_He nodded and leapt off the beam. And for a minute they just stood there, staring at one another._

"_Goodbye." He said softly, and before she could react he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. He turned and left her standing in the stables as she watched him leave._

_He didn't look back._

"So he just left? And you never saw him again? Until now, that is." Sophie asked.

I nodded. "I was about ten and he was maybe eleven or twelve."

I looked back at Sophie to see her reaction. She looked….happy and surprised. "Dmitri is his name?" She asked. She put her hands under her chin and looked up dreamily. "Is he handsome?" She asked.

I'm surprised at how much that question bothered me, and I was even more surprised at the answer.

"Yes." I said. I thought about how handsome he looked in his military uniform. But there was a hardness in those green eyes of his. A coldness that hadn't been there before.

"And he is to be your personal guard?" Sophie clarified. I nodded. "That should be interesting." She said.

I went to swat her playfully but she ducked out of the way and grinned.

"But really, it isn't so bad. Today is your birthday." She said gently. "You should enjoy today. You have your ball in a few hours and then you can dance the night away, like the princess you are." She joked.

I nodded. Sophie could always make me feel better. "And speaking of the ball, you should be getting ready. So get your royal butt over here so we can start." She ordered.

I obeyed. I figured it would be far easier that arguing with her. She was like a force of nature when she wanted something to get done.

We didn't talk about Dmitri again. We sat talking and going through clothes and jewelry. She was arranging my hair in long curls that hung down my back. She braided my hair into a crown at the top of my head. Right where my tiara would be.

I slipped into my dress and it slipped easily on. The silk twirled around my ankles. I had never worn a dress like this before. Sophie tied the back into place and spun me toward a mirror.

I felt myself take a sharp intake of breath. I stared at the mirror and staring back was the face of my mother. I never knew I looked like her.

Sophie smiled at me in the mirror, and gave me a quick hug.

"You look beautiful, Your Highness."

I spun around so quickly that Sophie stumbled and nearly fell into the vanity.

I turned to see Dmitri leaning against the door to my room. I should have known he'd remember where it was.

"What are you doing here?" I said flustered.

He grinned and my breath caught. He really was handsome when he smiled. "I am supposed to take you to the ballroom, princess. Tsarina's orders." He said, making no move to apologize for his intrusion.

Sophie recovered herself before I did. "Hello, I am Sophie." She said.

He bowed slightly. "Good evening, Sophie." He said politely. I saw Sophie swoon slightly.

_Oh sure. He is a perfect gentleman with everyone else. He just enjoys taunting me_. I thought.

"Now," He said. "We really must get to the ballroom." He said, offering me his arm.

I glared at him, but a nudge from Sophie brought me back. I took his arm with a fake smile and bid Sophie goodnight. She gave me a mischievous look just before turning to go to the servants' quarters.

Dmitri and I walked in silence to the ballroom but I was painfully aware of every move he made.

_This had never been a problem between us before!_ I thought frustrated. I turned to see if he was feeling any of this too. His jaw was clenched and he looked distracted. His gaze kept on going from left to right.

"Anastasia!" My father boomed as we finally arrived at the grand staircase. The guests were already pouring in from the main entrance. I was to wait to be announced before entering.

"Thank you for bringing her." He said to Dmitri. Dmitri nodded in acknowledgment and went to stand by the door.

"You look beautiful, dear." My father said affectionately. My mother's eyes shone with pride as she looked at me.

"Just one thing is missing." He said as he placed my tiara on my head. It fit perfectly.

"Now, you are ready." My father said as he looked at me. My sisters were already gone, dancing and twirling to the music.

"You look every inch a Romanov." My mother said before taking my father's arm. My father turned to wink at me before walking down the steps.

Dmitri stood in the shadows, not intruding on our family moment. You could hardly see him. Unless you were looking for him. I tried my best to forget about him. I was determined to enjoy myself.

I looked into the mirror one last time. So many strong men and women have been in our family. Strong mentally, physically, and emotionally.

I heard the music come to as stop and the herald announce my full title. I took a deep breath.

Tonight I would make them proud.

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	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I twirled and spun and danced around the ballroom, feeling lighter than air. I went from one dance partner to the next. I laughed and talked with all of the guests. Maybe I was better at this social game than I thought.

My sister Tatiana winked at me from over her dance partner's shoulder. I had danced with almost every man in the room. Almost.

Dmitri stood in the shadows, never taking part in the festivities and the guests didn't even know he was there. But I did. Of course I did.

I really didn't want to deal with this change in our relationship or the fact that he was back. Our friendship was too important to me to try to recreate. I didn't want to take that risk.

"May I cut in?" A familiar voice spoke from behind me. _Speak of the devil_. I thought to myself.

My dance partner nodded, placed my hand in his and bowed his leave.

"You shouldn't have done that." I said, somewhat disapprovingly.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I needed to talk to you and besides, you didn't exactly look thrilled to be dancing with him either." Dmitri answered.

I glared at him. He just grinned but then sighed. "We have a lot to talk about don't we?"

I nodded. I was starting to feel a little lightheaded from all the spinning. Dmitri seemed to notice because he led me off the dance floor and toward the door.

I looked up at him, surprised. "We can't leave. Everyone will be wondering where I am." I couldn't leave my own party.

He looked at me and rolled his eyes. "Since when have you cared about rules, Anna?" (Imp in Russian)

I glared. "Well you wouldn't know, would you?" I hissed. I thought I saw a flash of hurt in his eyes but it was gone before I could be sure.

He led me to an alcove in the hallway. _Oh no, if I was caught in here with him it would be such a scandal!_

He went to sit by the ledge of the window and leveled me with a frank look. I was still looking around, in shock.

"We aren't kids anymore, Dmitri. We can't be sneaking off in the middle of a ball because we need to talk!" I said, trying to keep my voice quiet.

"No one will find us." He assured me. "Do you remember this place?" He asked with a slight smile.

I did, of course. It was one of my treasured memories as a child.

_(Flashback)_

_A young girl ran through the long, winding corridors of the palace. Her friend was close on her heels. They had snuck into the kitchen to sneak a cake from the chefs. There was to be a grand ball tonight. But they didn't need _all_ the cake, did they?_

_They had gotten so close, but the chef caught them just as they were about to make their escape. They were certain the chef would come after them._

_So they ran. The young girl giggled as she ran through the halls, ducking underneath the tapestries and tables. She ran through a footman's legs and ducked under a courtier's coat, startling them. The young boy following behind her was quick on his feet. He hardly made a noise as he ran. _

_He quickly ran ahead of her. The girl gave a cry of indignation as she saw he was faster. He saw the souse-chef coming out of the kitchen, probably to scold them, so he ducked into an alcove in the wall. _

_He grabbed the girl as she ran past, pulling her into the corner. He covered her mouth as the chef went by. They both tried to stifle their laughter as he looked around confused._

_When the danger was over, the two of them sat talking in their secret corner. There was even a vent that led to the ballroom in it. You could hear the music from the orchestra. _

_They smiled at each other. They would keep this their secret._

I nodded. "We thought we were so clever, ducking in here." I laughed.

He grinned. "It was almost a tradition. Every time there was a ball or party being held, you and I would try to steal cake." He said, smiling.

"It never worked, but we tried anyway." I said.

We both sat there for a while, laughing at the memory. But all too soon the laughter faded away. I figured I might as well get the conversation started.

"What happened to you after you left the palace?" I asked quietly.

He took a deep breath and started. "My father took me to the military camp in the country. I went through years of training until I was actually put into the ranks. I traveled to the reaches of the empire to settle disputes and rebellions. I thought I would never return to the Peterhof. So you can imagine what I felt when they told me I was to be appointed as a guard to the royal family. But I had no idea it was you, Anna." He said.

He and I just looked at each other for a while.

"But I'm glad it was." He said softly.

For a moment there I could have sworn there was something between us, but just as fast as it came, it was gone. He laughed. "And nothing has changed. I'm still trying to keep you out of trouble. Only now I'm getting paid for it."

I tried to smile. _Nothing has changed_. He had said. I must be imagining things. Of course nothing has changed.

"Well, I'm glad to see you were successful in your career." I said formally. And without another word I stood up, and walked out into the corridor. I heard him calling after me and heard his footsteps on the marble but kept walking. I straightened my skirts, fixed my hair and slipped into the ballroom.

I sighed. I don't think anyone had noticed that I had slipped out for a few moments. I was just one in a sea of faces.


	5. Chapter 4

**Sorry I've been off the map for a while. I promise to update more regularly after this. Please read and REVIEW!**

**Chapter 4**

I walked back to my room later that night. I was exhausted. I had said goodnight to my parents and planned on going to bed the minute I got to my chambers. At the time I hadn't realized that these days were some of the last bit of normality we would have.

I pushed open the French doors to see my sister Maria sitting on my bed.

"What are you doing here?" I asked when I saw her. She smiled. She was still in her finery, looking beautiful as always. Her skirts fanned out to take up most of the foot of the bed.

"To talk, Stania." She said and patted the space next to her. I went to sit by her. We all used to be very close. All of my sisters were but sometimes things just went unsaid between us. There was the age difference and maybe just growing up. We seemed to be spreading apart and I didn't like it.

It felt like old times sitting on the bed, talking until the early morning about all sorts of things.

"Now tell me what is on your mind." She said, gently. I immediately was wary.

"What makes you think something is wrong?" I asked. She gave me a knowing look.

"Papa may not have seen you leave with your guard, but I did. I saw that look you had when Papa announced that he was to be your guard. You looked as white as a ghost. Now, tell me what is wrong." She said. Sometimes I think she is psychic, she knows me so well. I could feel myself blushing.

"Nothing. I was just surprised is all." I tried to shrug it off.

"You forget, Stania, that I have known you your entire life. It was not nothing." She would not rest until she got an answer from me.

"He was a friend of mine when we were young." I said quietly.

She nodded. "I remember. You two were inseparable."

"Yes. And then he left. It seems ridiculous so be mad at him for leaving but we never once talked again. Not in a letter or in person. I felt incredibly-" I tried to think of word. "-alone."

She put my head on her shoulder. "And now you feel strange trying to talk to him?" She guessed. "You get butterflies in your stomach and get nervous?" She continued.

I nodded, awed. "How did you know?" I asked. She just grinned, stood up, dusted off her skirts and headed for the door.

"Call it sister's intuition." She said with a wink. "Good night, Stania." Then she was gone.

I awoke the next morning with a terrible headache and a stomach ache. Sophie called for some orange flower water to soothe me. My sister, Maria came to tell me that she and Olga were going riding and to see how I was.

"Are you sure you are ok?" She asked for the millionth time. And for the millionth time I told her I was fine. Maria and I had always been the closets out of my siblings. We used to share a room until she turned eighteen.

"Ok, I will be in the stables but if you need anything tell Sophie." She said, more like commanded.

"I will." I assured her. Sophie came into the room bringing more water and soup for me. She bobbed to Maria and then came to set the tray down on my bed.

"Someone's here to see you." She said with a mischievous smile.

"Ugh, please tell them I'm asleep. Arguing with my sisters will not make this headache go away." I groaned.

"Well, I'm hurt." A voice from the doorway said and Dmitri strode into the room. I resisted the urge to throw my duvet over my head. I must look a sight with my uncombed hair, unmade up face and ashen complexion.

He seemed to take everything in as he sat back and grinned. I don't remember him having such an infuriating personality when he were younger.

"I came by to tell you that all of your activities have been cancelled today and to see if you were alright." He said.

"I'm fine." I croaked. Once he heard the state of my voice he immediately looked concerned. He crossed the room in a few strides to put his hand on my forehead.

"You feel feverish." He said, worriedly. I was too embarrassed to tell him that the heat was not from fever but from my blush.

He went to tell Sophie to bring a cool towel to put on my forehead. He went to shut the windows. Outside it was cold and crisp. The leaves on the trees were almost all gone now. It wouldn't be long before the first snowfall fell.

I couldn't fight the fact that I liked feeling taken care of. It was different that when my family members did it. My family always made a fuss whenever I was sick because of my hemophilia. My little brother Alexei had it too. And my disfigured back muscles just made them worry more.

Dmitri came back in the room with Sophie on his heels, holding a towel. He took the towel from her hand and gently placed it on my forehead, smoothing out my hair. For a minute we just stayed like that. And the strange part was is that I didn't want him to move. But he seemed to realize that he crossed a line and quickly removed his hand. I looked up to see Sophie grinning at us knowingly. My cheeks have to be blood red by now.

"Well, I'm glad to see you are feeling better, Your Highness." Dmitri said. His use of my title reminded both of us where we stood. I was a princess and he was a soldier. And that wouldn't change.

And without another word he bowed and left the room. I sighed and slumped back down into the bed, hoping it would swallow me up. I drank my orange water and hoped that things would go back to the way they were.

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	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The next few days flew by, from visiting dignitaries coming to congratulate me on my birthday to preparing for the balls I would now be expected to attend. And I couldn't be more exhausted. My mother was able to balance all these events, see to all the matters of the palace and still find time to be a mother to us. I shook my head in disbelief. She makes it look effortless. And of course Dmitri was always there, in the shadows, doing his duty.

We haven't spoken much since he came to my room the other day. Tense didn't cover the way our relationship was now.

I needed something to take my mind of all things social. I headed to the stables to ride my mare, _Dousha_. She was a gentle horse, all white except for the small black star on her muzzle, just between her eyes. She was beautiful.

I remember when my father first brought her to the stables. I was convinced she was one of the horses of the Chariot of Immortality. I was told the legend when I was young by a Palestinian nursemaid. It was one of my favorite stories as a child.

I walked up to her pen. She reached her face out to nuzzle my hand as I slipped her some sugar. She neighed playfully. I always felt at peace out here. The woods were colorful with their changing leaves and I was almost always alone when I came out here. It seems most people don't have time to ride anymore.

I led her out of her stable and put my saddle on her. It had been a gift from my late grandmother. It was beautiful brown leather with an intricately embroidered saddlebag. Every time I used it I thought of her.

I straightened my riding habit and leapt on her back. I took the reins and we galloped off into the woods. There was a beautiful area I loved to ride through. It was so untouched my people you just had to wonder what the rest of the world could be like. I had never been out of Russia, and only to various palaces around the empire. I had always wanted to go far beyond the borders, past the snow and to other cities and countries.

It was a dream of mine. My grandmother made sure of that.

She had traveled around Europe after my father became Tsar. There was no need for her to stay in Petersburg and I think she liked it that way.

I sighed. I missed her a lot. She and I understood each other in a way that the rest of my family really didn't. For a long time I thought no one else could. Except for Dmitri. But that was something else altogether.

Dousha patiently galloped through the forest as I mused.

And this mix of feelings for Dmitri's return is just complication things. I thought to myself. I have no idea why we can't have a normal conversation with each other without getting mad at one another or getting scared of this strange change in our relationship. But the most frustrationg part was that I don't know what changed it.

Yes, we have both grown up. But that means we can still be friends doesn't it?

I had made my resolve and turned _Dousha_ towards the stable. I needed to find Dmitri.

_(Flashback)_

_The princess and the son of a soldier sat side by side in the stables. The girl's father had just given her a gift. A young mare to ride through the Peterhof forests. _

_The two of them sat, trying to figure out what to name her._

"_What about Blanc? The boy asked._

_The girl shook her head. "To plain."_

"_Artemis" _

_She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "This is an Arabian horse, not Greek. And besides I get enough of that in the school room."_

_He smiled. "Snow" _

"_Too cliché!" She said._

_The boy was starting to lose patience with the conversation. "Well, what do you think is right?" He said._

_The girl sat there for a while, thinking. "Do you know what she looks like?" She asked. "My old nursemaid used to tell me the story of the Heavenly Horses of Ferghana. The Emperor Wu-Ti thought that they would take his soul up to heaven. He would ride in the Chariot of Immortality up to Peace." She told him. "I had loved that story." She whispered quietly._

"_That's it." The boy said, looking at the horse. "You just said it." _

_The girl looked at her friend confused. _

"_Dousha" He said with a grin. "Soul"_

_I smiled at him and went to pet the horses mane. "Dousha is perfect."_


End file.
